Some time ago I was walking home from school and I heard a group of people coming behind me discussing. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but I doubt if they were trying to be precisely quiet, cos they were talking really loud. For some reason I found myself sauntering just so I can listen to the gist. So, these guys were sharing a childhood memory about how they all wanted to run away from home, and it resonated with me because I felt the same way back then. Trust me I was a lot to handle when I was much younger. I had my own issues, I felt misunderstood and somehow always thought running away was the solution. But I never got the courage to do so, because somehow I used to think about the consequences.
There was a girl in the crew and her story stood out to me. She said she ran away from home one day and her mum was crying. Even after she was found, the woman hugged her and said something about being distressed about her absence.
This story reminded me of a similar one in the Bible. In Luke 15:11-24, the story of a particular young man, let’s call him Galis was recorded. Galis was probably in his early 20s and he was an angry young man. He was angry about how he had been treated by his father and an overbearing older sibling.
Trust me, I know it can be a little tough, and annoying I must say when you have an older sibling. It is easier to think you are not seen as capable, or wise enough to take decisions on your own. But the truth is, your family loves you and they are just looking out for you. That is by the way. Galis was angry and wanted his ‘freedom’, so he woke up and decided to run away from home if I can call it that. He ran away even though he took permission from his dad. He ran away to avoid correction, rebukes, and the watchful eyes of his dad. And maybe to avoid feeling intimidated by his brother’s obedience.
While he was away from home, he had the liberty he had always wanted. He could now do things without being stopped. He could say any word, wear any clothes and do what was abominable back home because now nobody sees him. He was in a new land, with a new identity, and had fun while it lasted. Safe to say that Galis ate the life of his head (please read this in Yoruba).
But a time came when Galis ran out of resources and was hungry. Of course, he went looking for a job and found just one. To others, it was just a job so he can at least have a little to eat. But given his heritage, it was an abominable thing to do. Split hoof yet does not chew the cud, which means unclean. And to be unclean would mean to be defiled and separated from his people. But what to do?
Stay tuned for the concluding part. See you sometime this week if the Lord tarries.
Yours-in-love,
Mo, The Light Bearer✨